Tool holder for a grinding machine

ABSTRACT

A tool assembly for a grinding machine that supports a tool and is separately and easily removed from the grinding machine to change tools. The grinding machine includes one or more grinding heads that support a plurality of the tool assemblies. The grinding heads include ring members and the tool assemblies include a tapered tool holder. The tool holder is held in the ring member in a friction fit. In one embodiment, a pad holder is mounted to the tool holder by a bolt. The pad holder includes a Velcro layer for securing the tool to the pad holder. In another embodiment, the tool, such as a turbo cup, is bolted directly to the tool holder.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/615,801, titled Tool Holder for aGrinding Machine, filed Oct. 4, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a tool holder for a grinding machineand, more particularly, to a tool holder for a grinding machine, wherethe tool holder is readily removed from a grinding head of the grindingmachine so as to allow other tool holders with other tools to beattached to the grinding machine without changing the grinding head.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Large industrial grinding machines are sometimes used to grind andpolish various surfaces, such as marble floors. These industrialgrinding machines typically include one or more grinding heads rotatablymounted to an underside of a platform of the machine, where grindingtools are mounted to the grinding heads. A grinding machine for grindingand polishing a marble floor may include six, twelve, eighteen ortwenty-four tools, where three separate tools are mounted to eachgrinding head.

In one grinding head design, plug inserts are secured within ringmembers in the grinding head in a friction fit, and the grinding tool isattached to the plug insert by a Velcro layer. The weight of thegrinding machine secures the plug inserts to the grinding head. The pluginserts are removed from the grinding head by tipping up the grinderplatform and striking the grinding head with a hammer to loosen the pluginserts from the ring members. Other plug inserts can then be securedwithin the ring elements to provide a tool with a different grit size orgrinding surface.

Various tool types are used to grind and polish a marble floor and mayhave different structural configurations and different abrasivematerials, such as diamond particles. Different grinding heads maysupport different tool types, where the grinding head must be removedfrom the platform and replaced with another grinding head to change thetool type. Therefore, when the machine operator wishes to switch fromone tool type to another to another tool type, such as from a metalbonded tool to a resin bonded tool, to perform a certain grinding orpolishing operation, the machine operator must remove each grinding headfrom the machine and replace it with other grinding heads that includethe desired tools. This process is costly and time consuming. It wouldbe desirable to provide a tool holder for the grinding machine for alltool types that are more easily replaced in a grinding machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a tool holderfor a grinding machine is disclosed, where the tool holder supports atool and is easily removed from the grinding machine to change differenttool types. The grinding machine includes one or more grinding headshaving ring elements that accept a tapered body of the tool holders in afriction fit. In one embodiment, a pad holder is bolted to the toolholder. The pad holder includes a Velcro layer for securing the tool tothe pad holder. In another embodiment, the tool, such as a turbo cup, isbolted directly to the tool holder.

Additional features of the present invention will become apparent fromthe following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an underside view of a grinding machine including a pluralityof removable tool assemblies, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the tool assemblies removed fromthe grinding machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a blown-apart perspective view of one of the assembliesremoved from the grinding machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a tool holder of the tool assemblyof the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the tool assemblies and a spannerwrench for removing a pad holder from the assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following discussion of the embodiments of the invention directed toa tool holder for a grinding machine is merely exemplary in nature, andis in no way intended to limit the invention or its applications oruses.

FIG. 1 is an underside view of a platform 12 of a grinding machine 10.The grinding machine 10 includes a plurality of grinding heads 14 thatare rotatably mounted to the platform 12, as is well understood in theart. The machine 10 may have two, four, six, eight or more grindingheads 14. The grinding heads 14 include three legs 22, where each leg 22includes a ring member 20. A separate tool assembly 16, according to theinvention, is mounted to each ring member 20 in a friction fit. One ofthe tool assemblies 16 is removed from one of the grinding heads 14 inFIG. 1 to show the ring member 20. Therefore, when the grinding machine10 is up-right to grind or polish the floor, the tool assemblies 16 aremaintained in place by the weight of the machine 10. Further, each toolassembly 16 is easily removed from the ring member 20 when the grindingmachine 10 is in an overturned position. Each tool assembly 16 retainsand holds a tool 18, such as a metal bonded tool or a resin bonded tool,for use in different types of grinding operations.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view and FIG. 3 is a blown apart view of one ofthe tool assemblies 16 separated from the grinding machine 10. The toolassembly 16 includes a tool holder 24 and a pad holder 26. Across-sectional view of the tool holder 24 is shown in FIG. 4. The toolholder 24 includes a tapered body 32 having a bore 30 extendingtherethrough. In one embodiment, the body 32 is a single piece ofhardened steel machined in the configuration and shape as shown, and thepad holder 26 is a single piece of machined aluminum having theconfiguration and shape, as shown. The taper of the body 32 allows it tobe inserted into the ring member 20 to secure the tool assembly 16 tothe grinding head 14.

A bolt 28 extends through the bore 30 in the body 32 of the tool holder24 and is threaded into a threaded bore 36 extending through the padholder 26 to hold the pad holder 26 to the tool holder 24. In oneembodiment, the bolt 28 is a ⅝″ bolt, so that any tool than canaccommodate the bolt 28 can be mounted to the tool holder 24.

When the tool holder 24 is secured to the pad holder 26, a head 40 ofthe bolt 28 is positioned within an upper chamber 42 of the bore 30, anda rectangular portion 34 of the pad holder 26 is positioned within alower chamber 44 of the bore 30. A set-screw 46 is threaded through thebody 32 of the tool holder 24 so that it extends into the chamber 44 andan end of the set screw 46 rests against a flattened edge 48 of theportion 34. Therefore, when the tool holder 24 is being bolted to thepad holder 26, the pad holder 26 is prevented from rotating relativethereto.

A Velcro layer (not shown) is glued to a lower surface of the pad holder26, and a Velcro layer 50 is glued to an upper surface of the tool 18 sothat the tool 18 can be secured to the pad holder 26. Therefore, anothertool can be easily attached to the pad holder 26 if the tool 18 wearsout or a different grit size is needed. Alternately, the pad holder 26can be replaced with another tool. For example, a turbo cup for roughcutting, a segmented diamond tool, a metal bonded diamond tool, ascraper tool, etc. can be bolted directly to the tool holder 24 by thebolt 28 so that different types of tools can be easily replaced withoutremoving the grinding heads 14.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tool assembly 16 showing anoperation for removing the tool holder 24 from the pad holder 26. Asshown, a wrench 52 is inserted into the head 40 of the bolt 28. Further,a knob of a spanner wrench 54 is positioned within an opening 56 in thebody 32 and the wrench 54 is positioned around the body 32 of the toolholder 24. The wrench 54 prevents the tool holder 24 from rotating whenthe wrench 52 is used to rotate the bolt 28.

When a machine operator wishes to switch grinding processes and change,for example, from a metal bonded tool to a resin bonded tool, he caneasily remove the tool assembly 16 from the ring member 20, and quicklyinsert another tool assembly 16 including the other tool into the ringmember 20. Thus, the several tool assemblies 16 associated with thegrinding machine 10 can be replaced instead of having to replace thegrinding heads 14, as was previously done in the prior art.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplaryembodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art willreadily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanyingdrawings and claims, that various changes, modifications and variationscan be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the following claims.

1. A grinding machine comprising: at least one grinding head includingat least one ring member; and at least one tool assembly mounted to theat least one ring element, said at least one tool assembly including atool holder, a tool support and a bolt, said tool support including atool, said tool support being secured to the tool holder by the bolt,said tool assembly being secured to the grinding head by inserting thetool holder into the ring member in a friction fit so that the toolassembly is readily removed from the grinding head.
 2. The grindingmachine according to claim 1 wherein the tool support is a pad holderincluding a Velcro layer and the tool is secured to the pad holder bythe Velcro layer.
 3. The grinding machine according to claim 1 whereinthe tool support and the tool are a single piece structure.
 4. Thegrinding machine according to claim 1 wherein the tool holder includes atapered body.
 5. The grinding machine according to claim 1 wherein thetool holder includes an internal bore through which the bolt extends andthe tool support includes an extended member that is positioned withinthe bore of the tool holder.
 6. The grinding machine according to claim5 wherein the extended member includes a flat surface and the toolholder includes a pin member, said pin member extending into the boreand being positioned against the flat surface so that the tool holder isprevented from significantly rotating relative to the tool support. 7.The grinding machine according to claim 6 wherein the pin member is aset-screw that is threaded through a threaded opening in a body of thetool holder.
 8. The grinding machine according to claim 1 wherein thetool holder includes a hole for accepting a wrench that prevents thetool holder from rotating when the bolt is being threaded into the toolsupport to secure the tool holder to the tool support.
 9. The grindingmachine according to claim 1 wherein the tool holder is a steel member.10. The grinding machine according to claim 1 wherein the tool isselected from the group consisting of a turbo cup, a metal bonded tool,a segmented diamond tool and a resin bonded tool.
 11. A tool assemblycomprising a tool holder having a tapered body and an internal boreextending therethrough, said tool assembly further comprising a toolsupport and a bolt, said tool holder being secured to the tool supportby the bolt where the bolt extends through the bore.
 12. The toolassembly according to claim 11 wherein the tool support is a pad holderincluding a Velcro layer and wherein a tool is secured to the pad holderby the Velcro layer.
 13. The tool assembly according to claim 11 whereinthe tool support and an associated tool are a single piece structure.14. The tool assembly according to claim 11 wherein the tool supportincludes an extended member that is positioned within the bore of thetool holder, and wherein the extended member includes a flat surface andthe tool holder includes a pin member, said pin member extending intothe bore and being positioned against the flat surface so that the toolholder is prevented from rotating relative to the tool support.
 15. Thetool assembly according to claim 14 wherein the pin member is aset-screw that is threaded through a threaded opening in the body of thetool holder.
 16. The grinding machine according to claim 11 wherein thetool holder includes a hole for accepting a wrench that prevents thetool holder from rotating when the bolt is being threaded into the toolsupport to secure the tool holder to the tool support.
 17. A toolassembly for a grinding machine, said tool assembly comprising: a toolholder having a tapered body and an internal bore extendingtherethrough, said internal bore including an upper chamber and a lowerchamber, said tool holder further including a threadable pin memberextending through the body so that an end of the pin member extends intothe lower chamber; a tool support including a threaded bore extendingtherethrough, said tool support further including an extended memberhaving a flat surface, where the extended member is positioned withinthe lower chamber of the tool holder body so that the end of the pin ispositioned against the flat surface; and a bolt including a bolt head,said bolt extending through the body and being threaded into thethreaded bore of the tool support so that the head of the bolt ispositioned within the upper chamber of the internal bore.
 18. The toolassembly according to claim 17 wherein the tool support is a pad holderthat includes a Velcro pad to which a tool is mounted.
 19. The toolassembly according to claim 17 wherein the tool support is a singlepiece member including a grinding tool.
 20. The tool assembly accordingto claim 17 wherein the tool holder includes a hole for accepting awrench that prevents the tool holder from rotating when the bolt isbeing threaded into the tool support to secure the tool holder to thetool support.